Ana Asensio’s SXSW winner burst onto the scene when it bowed at the festival back in March, and as it hits BAM and readies for a theatrical rollout, the timely feature will likely only garner more well-deserved attention. Our review explained, “Asensio, a thirtysomething Spanish actress whose work is virtually unseen on these shores, not only wrote, directed, and produced this fraught metropolitan thriller, she also appears in just about every frame. And while the film might begin by suggesting that its heroine was chosen at random (a mesmeric prologue follows seven different women as they weave through the sidewalks of Manhattan, the camera picking them out of a crowd as if to wordlessly reassert that most of the Naked City’s seven million stories remain untold), Asensio’s compulsively watchable lead performance splits the difference between the specific and the representational.”

MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND
An undocumented young woman struggling to begin a new life in New York City is offered an opportunity she can’t pass up. But as day turns to night she discovers she’s been lured to the center of a dangerous game. Cast: Ana Asensio, Natasha Romanova, David Little, Nicholas Tucci, Larry Fessenden, Caprice Benedetti. Written & Directed by Ana Asensio. Produced by Jenn Wexler, Chadd Harbold, Ana Asensio. Producers: Larry Fessenden, Noah Greenberg. Executive Producers: Peter Phok, Gill Holland.

Fessenden also appears in Evan Katz’s SMALL CRIMES, also world premiering at SXSW.

Did you miss TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE Live from The Stanley Film Festival? Well what better day to listen to it than on Halloween!

Written by Fessenden, McQuaid, and Chapman, these tales of terror are inspired by Colorado’s Stanley Hotel and its surroundings, which also served as the muse for Stephen King’s THE SHINING. Featuring the voice talents of Fessenden, Martin Starr, AJ Bowen, Ana Asensio, Jocelyn DeBoer, Martha Harmon Pardee and Sam Zimmerman.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESTANLEY FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES JOE DANTE TO RECEIVE “MASTER OF HORROR” AWARD PRESENTED BY MICK GARRIS, FULL CAST FOR TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE: THE STANLEY EDITION, PANELS, AND ADDED SCREENINGSApril 14, 2014 (Denver, CO) – The Stanley Film Festival (SFF), presented by Chiller and produced by the Denver Film Society, announced their full lineup of panels, added screenings, Dean’s Cup short films, and the full cast of TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE: The Stanley Edition (presented by Glass Eye Pix). Celebrating the best in independent horror cinema, SFF will showcase a full slate of features, shorts, panels and fully immersive experiences – set at the Stanley Hotel. The haunted landmark opened in 1909 and was the inspiration for Stephen King’s Overlook Hotel in The Shining.

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Adding to the 4-day celebration of horror, TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE: The Stanley Edition has been created specifically for SFF 2014. TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE is an ongoing series of audio dramas penned by luminaries from the world of contemporary horror. The Stanley Edition will proudly feature SFF attendees Martin Starr (Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead), Jocelyn DeBoer (Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead), AJ Bowen (The Sacrament), Ana Asensio and noted director and writer Larry Fessenden and additional special guests. The performance will be held at the Historic Park Theatre in downtown Estes Park on Saturday, April 26 at 4:45pm.

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Rounding out the weekend is a series of panels. SpectreVision cofounders Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah and Josh Waller will present a panel about their film production and music management company and their future plans. Additional panels include Who Watches This Stuff?: Buying, Selling, Distributing and Exhibiting Horror Films Today as well as a panel focusing on the New Wave of horror featuring Ti West, Travis Stevens, Glenn McQuaid and Larry Fessenden.